[Comparative immunochemical study of the antigenic makeup of native tetanus toxin from sporulating and nonsporulating C1. tetani strains].

Crude tetanus toxin of nonspore-bearing strain Harward had a complicated antigenic composition; 8 fractions were revealed in disc electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel, and 8-10 precipitation bands in immunoelectrophoresis. All the antigenic components of the crude toxin of nonspore-bearing strains detected in diffuse precipitation test and immunoelectrophoresis were identical to the corresponding antigens of the spore-bearing strain Kolle 154. However, the filtrate of the culture fluid of the spore-bearing strain contained at least two antigenic components absent in the culture fluid of the nonspore-bearing strain. Identity of the amin antigenic component--tetanospamin--was demonstrated in nonspore-bearing and spore-bearing industrial C1. tetani strains in experiments of immunoelectrophoresis with the use of antibodies against tetanospasmin.